Apparatus for and method of forming glass sheets



U. E. BOW'ES Jan. '30, 1951 APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF FORMING GLASS SHEETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w /H B l w m H J 8 l 1 F INVENTOR URBAN B'Emwz s IEI'E BY (9W4:

TIE-Zr ATTORNEYS U- E. BOWES Jan. 30, 1951 APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF FORMING GLASS SHEETS Filed Jan. 19, 1946 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2% H// H w INVENTOR URBAN BE] nwzza BY 9 @x/ ATTORNEYS stat on where-it is. su jec ed, to inte m t n p e Patented Jan. 30, 1951 UNITED s'r res PAT N T F- APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF FORMING GLASS SHEETS" Urban E. Bowes, Perrysburg, Ohio Application January 19, 1946-, Serial him 642,292

6 Claims.

- This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for producing sheets or strips of material in a plastic state and forming the surfaces so as toproduce and maintain a desired and uniform :CIOSS section whilethematerial is passing from a plastic to airigid condition. More'specifically,

it relates to forming the surface by a rapid succession of brief pressures while providing a gaseous cushion so that the set surface has the characteristicsof, material that sets in contact .withgas... In its broaderaspects, the invention includes forming the opposite faces of sheets or strips so as to give them any desired straight- :lineor continuous shape, but preferably the sheets are given plane parallel faces.

method and apparatus whereby sheetsor strips of plastic material canbe formed with each longitudinal surface line perfectly straight and maintained in that condition while setting, and

w'The object of :the invention is to provide a at the same time imparting a surface finish characteristic of like material setting in contact withgas. A particular object of the inventionis to form glass sheets with perfectly parallel. plane surfaces and with a fire-finish.

- ".One manner of forming glass sheets, for example, has been by drawing upwards a ribbon Various over a bending roll or when it is drawn up between pairs of rolls, the slight irregularities of ,theroll surfaces affect the surfaces of the glass. 1 If rolls are, depended upon to determine the thickness of the glass, it has not been found feasi- .ble. to roll the glass to a reduced thickness at a -temperature low. enough so that the glass; will .thereafter retain its dimensions during handling because the contact is substantiallyga line. contact. andif the glass at this point is too stifily --.,plas tic it will not form without an excessive pull thereon; and if it is, sufficiently plastic so that it reducesreadily in thickness, it will continue to stretch after passing through the rolls. ,By the present invention thisdifliculty is overcome -bypassing the plastic ribbon through a sures on opposite sides plane parallel surfaces. The successive ,pressures are of short duration and do not interfBrIef with theprogressive movement of the ribbon and are so short that the surface 'of the, ribbonf'is not injured by the contact but is jleft infire-finished form.

,While formationjbyflat, parallel surfaces is the preferable method, it is'sometimes highly desirablelj to. transportlthe ,sh jeet away from the point of formation at'an angleto thedirection in which it is drawn fromfa plastic supply. Where desired,jc urved formingsurfaces may be employed oii opposite s'idesl of, the sheet to form the parallel surfaces and. at thesa'me time change the direction of theglass.

iWhile theinvention' will be first described in connection'with,theformation of glass sheets,

,it, may be applied tofthe formation of sheets from otherjtherinoplastic orjthermosetting ma- .terial. Also, for-some purposes it is desirable to give the sheet surface a corrugated, prismatic or ,other'surjfa'ce. The invention provides a meth- '.od of and apparatus for doing this readily where the corrugations or other surface formations are uniform longitudin'ally of the sheet, although the formation of plane surfaces is simpler.

g'Fur'ther objects and details of the invention will appear asfthedescription proceeds.

In the accompanying dr'awings forming a part 'of thisfs 'pecificationf A mgr; isavertical section through one form of thei'nvemmn in. which a sheet is drawn up- H ward froma molten mass;

40; I I I r Fig. 5, isa vertical section of a third form in Fig. 2' is a vertical section on the line 2- 2 of Figure 1 Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial plan View approximatelyon the line s-a of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a verticalsection of another'embodimentoof the invention in which the material flows down, fromva molten mass;

which the material flows horizontally from a moltenmass'. w v I Fig. 6 isJa section ofcu'rved forming plates employed for changing the direction of a sheet as well as forming its surfaces, and Fig. 7 isa section on the line l-'l of Fig. 5, but showingthe formers shaped to produce prism glass. In the form of the invention shown in Figure 1, there -is shown atanklfl for a mass of molten glassllwn float Ii isprovidedat the surface of the glass, and above thefloat there are shields l3. A glass sheet leis drawn upward from the float by rolls i5. 1 The sheet cools as it is drawn 3 upward and becomes set during its passage between the float and the draw rolls. During this setting operation the surfaces of the sheet are formed or flattened at a flattening station provided by members It which have parallel plane surfaces throughout the greater part of their extent. In the form shown they are provided with slightly diverging surfaces i l at their lower edges. They are hollow, as indicated at l9, and may be filled with suitable cooling fluid.

At the ends of members Hi there are brackets 20 sliding upon horizontal beams 2|, one at each end of the flattening members. Horizontal shafts 22 are provided with crank portions 23 where they pass through slots 24 in brackets 20. On the ends of the shafts there are sprockets 25 driven by chains 26 from sprockets 21 uponsuitable drive shafts 28, the shafts being journalled in suitable bearing blocks 29. p p 7 It'willbe readily understood that a ribbon of glass is drawn up in awell-known manner from thejslot in float 12, the drawing being continued by rollers 15. As previously indicated, where a 'pair of rollers is employed todetermine approximately the thickness of the glass, the rollers are customarily applied to theglass at a point where itis quite plastic so that it will'readily yield to the forming pressure of the rollers. When the apparatus of the type illustrated in Fig. l is em- .ployed, the glass may be much more stifliy plastic at the point where it is subjected to the forming members Hi. In practice it preferably has a viscosity of upwardsof 1,000,09Qpoises when it enters the space between theflattening members IS. The rate of movement of the sheet upward is so related to the consistency of the glass and the width of the slotin float I2 that the sheet reaches the station between the flattening memried ove rolls 43 through a flattening station bers somewhat thicker than the space between those members at theirnearest approach. The movement of the flattening members towards each other is positive and they exertsuflicient pressure to reduce the glass to. the. predetermined thickness. The vibration of the flattening'members, due to the rotation of shafts Z2, is prefera- "bly quite rapid. A frequency of 1800 to the minute has been employed successfully.

Theoretically there is no necessity for any actual reduction in theaverage thickness of the glass. The sheet will arrive at 'the flatteningstation' with slight irregularities in the thickness. Ifit could be governed so that the average thickness was exactly that desired;- the" flattening members would merely need to reduce :the thickness'of the thicker portions of the glass and simultaneously increase the thickness of the thinj ner portions by movement of the glass from the thicker portions. 1 However, in practicethis precisely accurate adjustment is difficult to achieve, and, therefore, the sheet preferably has an average thickness slightly greater at the point where it enters the flattening stationthan the distance between the flattening members at their neares approach. 5

The flattening members are separated far enough so that there is a perceptible air space between their surfaces and the sheet of the glass 7 when they are farthest apart. At their nearest bers iii are absolutely flat and parallel, while at the same time leaving fire-finished surfaces on the glass. This can be done in spite of the fact that the members l6 are cooled, because the contact is so brief and there is a gaseous layer between the surfaces of the members and the surfaces of the glass.

In the form shown in Figure 4, there is a tank 30 having a slot 3| in its bottom, with a control plunger or gate 32 which can be raised or lowered to regulate the flow of the material from the slot. There are flattening members 33 provided below the slot, similar to flattening members 16. While no apparatus is shown for vibrating flattening members 33, it will be undersood that they may be operated in the same manner as members [6 or by any equivalent means. While the material preferably leaves the space between members 33 in a condition sufliciently plastic to retain its shapeand thickness against the stresses of gravity, it may still be readily bent and in the form shown in" Figure 4 it is bent around a bending roll 34 and carried off horizontally over carrying-off rolls 35, this change to the horizontal direction being for purposes of convenience.

' In the form shown in Figure 5 there is a tank 33 having a horizontal lip 31 slightly below the level of the molten glass 38 in the tank. A control gate 39 is adjustable to and from the lip" to determine the thickness of a ribbon or sheet 40, which flows horizontally over the lip. The ribbon is shown as flowing downward onto a receiving roll 4|, against'which it is pressed by a roll 42. I

While still relatively plastic, the sheet'is carbetween flattening members 44, 44' which are similarto flattening'members 33 and is. After the sheet has been reduced to final thickness and flattened while passing between members 44, 44', it is carried off over rollers 45 or similar supports. The form shown in Figure 4, or obvious modifications of that form, is particularly suitable where the plastic stage of the material occurs only during arelatively narrow range of temperature. The forms shown in Figures 1 and 5 'are more suitable where there is a considerable range of temperaturethrough which the material s plastic; V

The apparatus shown in Fig. 6 is adapted for usein a device similar to that shown in Fig. 1, "but where the glass'is given a new direction at fslidably mounted in bracket 54 and adapted to approach there must bestill a slight layer of gas that this method of flattening the sheet'produces true parallel surfaces where the surfaces of memthe point of forming, so that it is moved'away from the point of": forming at an angle to the vertical. In this "embodiment of the invention, theiforrners 50' and 5| have curved surfaces so that sheet'52 is drawn off by rollers 53 at an angle to the vertical. This oouldbe horizontal if desired.

In the construction shown, plate 50 is shown be vibrated by eccentric 55 in a direction radial of its curved surface. Plate 5| is shown flxed'to a bra'cket 56. If desired, plate 5| could be vibrated also by some convenient means, such as a similar eccentric.

It will be readily understood that the operation of the device shown in Fig. 6 is substantially the same as described for the formers iii of Fig. 1, except that 5O and 5| act also as a bending roll.

'-It should be noted that, whether one or both of plates 53 and 5| are vibrated, the critical forming takes place when they are the minimum distance apart, and therefore their surfaces must' be concentric when they are in that position. One

set of plates can be exactly concentric in only one position and can form only one thickness of sheet. If the thickness of the sheet is to be changed, one or both of plates 50 and 5| must be changed accordingly so they will be exactly concentric at the desired distance apart. I

In Fig. 7 there is shown a modification of the shaping surface M5 of the upper forming plate 44' so as to form continuous prisms on the face of the sheet. In forming prism glass by molding, there is somedifliculty in maintaining sharp and true By a construction such as shown in Fig. 7, the repeated contacts of the forming surface can be continued'until the glass is fullyset without injury'to the surface or setting up excessive internal strains. design desired is formed and remains when the Accordingly, the exact prismatic glass is fully set. Also, the cross section of the .glassremains the same throughout its length.

It will be seen that the method and apparatus disclosed above is operable to produce accurate .flattening of the surfaces of a sheet while the -material is so stiflly plastic that it retains the flattened form imparted to it, and that this flattening can be performed Without injury to the fire-finishing of the surface of the sheet. In this way'a sheet of material can be produced which is "accurate in dimensions and very satisfactory in surface finish. In producing glass sheets this avoids the necessity for final grinding and polishing which has hitherto been considered necessary for optically true flat surfaces on the glass sheets. Similarly, organic materials which are either thermoplastic or thermosetting may be formed in a similar manner by applying the flattening at the stage where the material is set either by cooling or by the continued heat. In the latter case, of course, the flattening members would be heated instead of cooled. Also, while forming sheets with parallel plane surfaces is the simplest form of the invention, it may be applied to other strips having a uniform cross section.

While one form of the apparatus has been shown with some detail in Fig. 1 and variations have been indicated in Figures 4, 5 it will be readily understood that extensive change in the details of construction and means for operating the flattening members, as well a in the configuration of the members, may be employed while retaining important features of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

While members I6 are shown in Fig. 1 with a continuous hollow space for cooling fluid, where desired the metal in the glass-contacting face of the member may be thin in order to transmit quickly the temperature of the fluid to the contacting surface, and struts or supporting ribs may be provided across the hollow if it is desired to make the surface metal so thin that it might not remain perfectly flat in the absence of such supporting struts or ribs.

When a cooled roller is used for contacting glass, the metal outside of the central hollow must be quite thick to maintain the true form of the roller. It will be seen that, by the device mentioned, the strength of the flattening members I6 may be supplied by their rear walls, if desired, and their faces may be made thin. However, the material may be more nearly set when flattened by members I6 than when rolled, and while the members l6 make contact over a much wider area than rollers do at one time, the fraction of time in which members H; are nearest together, so as to press the glass, is very small, and so the surfaces of the flattening members can be kept quite cool, if desired, Without difficulty and without damage to the finish of the glass.

As mentioned above, the average thickness of the sheet is greater where it enters the flattening station, than the distance between the flattening members at' their nearest approach, although for ease .of illustration this difference is somewhat exaggerated in the drawings. The reduction in thickness of the sheet by the receiving ends of the flattening members retards the material so that the movement of the material is ,not as rapid before reaching the flattening station as it is when leaving that station. When the sheet is drawn upward, as in Fig. 1, it stretches by gravity for a distance above the float, so that the thickness of the sheet is greatest as it leaves the float. Obviously, the rate at which material is drawn up between the flattening members determines the rate at which it i drawn to the members, and this rateof draw may be readily adjusted to the width of the slot in the float, the consistencyof the glass and the rate of cooling so as to insure at all times an ample supply of glass entering the flattening zone or station.

What I claim is:

- 1. The method which consistsin forming a ribbon of plastic glass somewhat thicker than desired in the finished form and passing the ribbon continuously in a substantially vertical direction between opposed cooled surfaces, the surfaces being fixed against substantial vertical movement and being plane and parallel with each other over an area comprising a material length of travel of the ribbon and slightly diverging at the entrance end of the space between said surfaces, and vibrating the surfaces rapidly in substantially rectilinear lines to and from each other, the nearest approach of the plane surfaces to each other being somewhat closer than the thickness of the ribbon to somewhat reduce the thickness of the ribbon and the vibration being sufliciently rapid to produce many vibrations during the passage of any one portion of glass between said surfaces and sufilciently rapid to avoid injuring the surfaces of the glass.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 and in which the glass ribbon has a viscosity upwards of one million poises when it enters the space between the surfaces.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 and comprising cooling the ribbon to a viscosity of upwards of one million poises before it enters the space between said surfaces and in which the ribbon is a flat sheet and the parallel portions of the surfaces are plane.

4. Apparatus comprising means to form a plastic glass ribbon, means to move the glass ribbon in a substantially vertical direction away from its source through a setting station and opposed members on opposite sides of the ribbon at said setting station, said opposed members being fixed against substantial vertical movement and having opposed parallel plane surfaces for a material distance in the line of travel of the glass with slightly diverging surfaces at the entrance end of the space between them, and means 76 to vibrate said surfaces substantially rectilinearls a nd from each other clcs'eenbugh to somewhat reduce'the thickness of the glass as it passes therebetween and with suificient rapidity between the parallel portions of said surfaces.

'5. Apparatus comprising means to form a plastic glass ribbon, means to move the glass ribborr in a substantially vertical direction away from its source through a setting station and opposed members on oppcsite sides of the ribbon at said. settingstation, said opposed members being fixed against substantial vertical movement and having opposed parallel plane surfaces for a material clistance in the line-of travel of fthe glass withslightly diverging surfaces at the entrance end' of the space between them, and means to vibrate said surfaces substantially rectilinearly towards and from each other close enough to -'somewhat reduce t1 e thickness of the glass as it passes therebetwee'n and'with s'ufii'ci'ent rapidity of'vibr'ation' to vibrate the surfaces many times during the passage of any one portion of glass between the parallel portions of said surfaces, means forcooling said surfaces, and. the means for'viorating the surfaces being capable of sufliciently rapid vibration to avoid injury to the glass surface passing therebetween.

' 6. Apparatus comprising a source of a plastic glass sheetfmean's for continuously moving the sheet of plastic glass in a substantially vertical path, members having flat parallel surfaces on opposite sides of the path of the sheet, means for fixing said members against substantial vertical movement means for vibrating the member's substantially rectilinearly towards and from each other close enough to reduce the thickness of the sheet as it passes continuously therebetween and with sufiicient rapidity to avoid injury to the surface of the glass as it passes therebetween.

- 7 URBAN E. BOWES.

, REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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